PRESSURE from campaigners has prompted councillors to defer a decision on plans for a new betting office in an Earley shopping parade.

PRESSURE from campaigners has prompted councillors to defer a decision on plans for a new betting office in an Earley shopping parade.

The proposal by Coral Estates Ltd to convert a shop unit in The Parade to a bookies has caused a storm in the neighbourhood.

More than 230 people have signed a petition and 110 have written letters opposing the plans in Silverdale Road.

Members of Wokingham District Council's development control committee decided at a meeting on Wednesday night to visit the site.

Local councillors David Swindells and Alan Spratling listed the application which would normally have been given the nod by planning officers.

Cllr Swindells said: "There is such a lot of concern we thought it needed to go to committee for deliberation rather than have an officer decide.

"There are concerns about the proximity to two schools and that dinner money could be used to feed the horses rather than feed the body.

"Also, traffic congestion is currently occurring on the surrounding roads on the parade of shops and there were fears this would be exacerbated by long-term parking from people sitting in the betting shop."

A number of individual objectors and Earley Town Council opposed the plan because they feared it may attract pupils from nearby Aldryngton and Maiden Erlegh schools despite the best efforts of Coral to police the situation.

The nearest betting shops to Earley are in Shinfield and Woodley and the town council felt it was likely people from other areas of the town would drive to the shop.

Councillor Steve Scarrott, who chairs the town council's planning committee, said: "We were also worried about losing local shops because the types of shops we are losing in the parade are shops local residents will walk to.

"In our view it's not really a reflection of the actual population who live within half a mile of

that site.

"I'm glad the council has decided to look at other aspects to this rather than just change of use of the building."

Planning officers had recommended that councillors grant permission because they

said the alterations to the shop, including single storey rear extension and new shop

front, would not be considered detrimental and they did not believe there would be a significant increase in traffic.

They also said the 10 shops on the parade provided a variety of uses and the risk of schoolchildren gambling was not a planning matter.

But councillors decided they wanted to see the site for themselves and the application will now be considered at a future meeting.